一字違いが命取り　 Only a small mistake makes a big difference.

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2009年 04月16日 19:57

一字違いが命取り　 Only a small mistake makes a big difference.

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日本語と英語で書きました。どうぞ私のつたない英語にアドバイスをお願いします。
I’m very glad if you will help me with English.

これは私の恩師のお話。かなり昔のお話ですが。
This is a true story of a professor at my university. It’s an old story.

　　　
在る分野で活躍されていらっしゃる方で、ヨーロッパ出身の大学教授。
アメリカでも教授をなさっていらしたとても優秀なこの教授が、日本にいらして間もないころの事。
まだ、日本語はあまりお出来にならない頃。

An professor from europe was an authority in his field.
He had also studied as a professor at a famous university in America before.
It had passed only a short time after he came to Japan.
He had learned Japanese, but was not a good speaker in Japanese yet.

　　　
ある物を買おうと思って、その日本語を何度も繰り返し口ずさんで覚えました。
「うーん。これで完璧。ちゃんと覚えた。」
さあ、いざデパートへ。

One day he wanted to buy something and learned to pronounce the word again and again.
“Um, perfect. I correctly memorize it!”
Then he went out for shopping the thing to an department store.
　　　
お目当てのものが並んでいる売り場へ行き、さきほど完璧に覚えた日本語を言いました。
教授　「すみません。未亡人を下さい。」
店員　「・・・・え・・・・」
教授　（あれ、発音がおかしかったのかな。）「未亡人を下さい。」
店員さん、顔を赤くして、困った様子。
教授、ますます自分の発音がおかしいと思い、はっきりと大きな声でもう一度。
教授　「未亡人を下さい。」
店員　「・・・・申し訳ありません。少々お待ち下さい。」

Getting to the department of the things he wanted, he said the word he had memorized perfectly to the young sales woman there.
Prof. “Excuse me. Can you help me? Do you have a ‘miboujin’?”
s.w. ”....I beg your pardon?”
Prof (Um….my…..,I wonder if my pronunciation was bad?) “Do you have a ‘miboujin’?”
She looked very confused with a red face as a beat.
He was sure that his pronunciation must had had something strange, and said the word again more clearly and more loudly to her.
Prof. “Do you have a ‘miboujin’?”
S.w. ”......I’m sorry, Sir. Would you stay here and give me some time?”

店員さん、奥へ行き、年配の女性を連れてきました。どうやらこの売り場の責任者らしい。
教授、この人ならわかるだろうと思い、もう一度。
「未亡人を下さい。」

The young sales woman went to an elder sales woman, her boss, and they came back soon together.
He thought the elder sales woman could understand him, so he said it again.
Prof. ” Do you have a ‘miboujin’?”

すると、その年輩の店員さん、あわてず騒がず丁寧に頭を下げ、こう言いました。
「お客様、まことに申し訳ございませんが、あいにくここではそれは扱っておりません。」
教授、（変だな、なぜないんだろう。）と、思いながら、家に帰りました。
そうしてもう一度辞書を見て言葉を確認しました。

Then the elder sales woman politely bowed him without being upset and being surprised, and replied to him in a calm voice, “I’m quite sorry, Sir, but I don’t have what you want.”
He wondered if it was true that they didn’t have them, and went back home.
And then he looked up the word in his dictionary to confirm his pronunciation of it.

教授、唖然としました。
自分が言った言葉、「未亡人」
自分が言いたかった言葉　「魔法瓶」
だから、デパートでは買えなかったのです。

The professor was dumbfounded at watching at the pronunciation of the word.
The word he actually said was “miboujin” in Japanese( “a widow” in English).
The word he really wanted to say was “mahoubin” ( a thermos bottle in English).
Therefore he couldn’t buy it.

この教授、現在は日本語の本もたくさん出版され、日本語でたくさん講演をしていらっしゃいます。
どんな達人も最初は初心者。
エジソンは天才は99％の努力からつくられると言った。
そう、達人も99％の努力からつくられる。
たくさんの間違いがたくさんの正解を連れてくるのだ。
恐れるな、間違いを。
そうすれば、貴方もいつか大学教授？

Now the professor has written many books in Japanese, and given many lectures in Japanese here and there.
Any expert was a beginner when he started it.
Thomas Edison said, “Genius is 99% perspiration.”
Yes, I agree with him, an expert is 99% perspiration.
Making many mistakes gives getting correct answers.
Don’t afraid of making many mistakes!
And then you’ll be a professor as an authority in your field some day?
　　
　　

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2009年 04月16日 22:37: 1: アンヤレッタさん

>This is a true story of a professor at my university. It’s an old story.

This is a true story about a professor

>An professor from europe was an authority in his field.

The professor, who was from Europe, was an authority in his field.

>He had also studied as a professor at a famous university in America before.

He had studied as a professor or he had taught as a professor?

>It had passed only a short time after he came to Japan.

This happened only a short time after he came to Japan.

>He had learned Japanese, but was not a good speaker in Japanese yet.

Your sentence is fine as written, but I think it sounds better to put "not" and "yet" together:

He had learned Japanese, but was not yet a good speaker of the language.

("of the language" to avoid using "Japanese" again so soon).

> and learned to pronounce the word again and again.

so he practiced pronouncing the words over and over again.

>“Um, perfect. I correctly memorize it!”

"Um, perfect. I've correctly memorized it!"

>Then he went out for shopping the thing to an department store.

Then he went out to buy the item at a department store.

>Getting to the department of the things he wanted, he said the word he >had memorized perfectly to the young sales woman there.

When he arrived at the correct department, he said the word he had memorized perfectly to the young sales woman there.

>She looked very confused with a red face as a beat.

with a face as red as a beet.

>He was sure that his pronunciation must had had something strange, >and said the word again more clearly and more loudly to her.

He was sure there must have been something strange about his pronunciation, so he said the word again more clearly and more loudly to her.

>S.w. ”......I’m sorry, Sir. Would you stay here and give me some time?”

Or: Would you wait here just a moment?

>The young sales woman went to an elder sales woman, her boss, and they came back >soon together.

The young saleswoman went to get an elder saleswoman, her boss, and they soon came back together.

>He thought the elder sales woman could understand him, so he said it again.

could >>> would

>Then the elder sales woman politely bowed him without being upset and being surprised, >and replied to him in a calm voice, “I’m quite sorry, Sir, but I don’t have what you want.”

politely bowed to him without being upset or surprised

>The professor was dumbfounded at watching at the pronunciation of the word.

was dumbfounded to see the pronunciation

>Therefore he couldn’t buy it.

This sentence is correct and will be understood, but more natural English would be: "Therefore, he had been unable to buy it."

>Any expert was a beginner when he started it.

Every expert is a beginner when he starts out.

>An expert as 100% has been made up of many mistakes as 99% and >some correct answers as 1%.

Hmm. I'm not sure I understand exactly what you want to say, even reading the Japanese. Are you talking about how experts begin in their learning? I read it as something like:

Even experts can be formed from a starting ratio of 1% right to 99% wrong.

>Don’t afraid of making many mistakes!

>And then you’ll be a professor as an authority in your field some day?

Don't be afraid of making mistakes, and maybe someday you'll be an authority in your field as well!

Well done! Many of your sentences were perfect! I corrected for style as well as grammar.

Your professor sounds like a wonderful person.

2009年 04月17日 08:37: 2:

はじめまして。

面白いですね。　私もときどき日本語の言い間違いをして恥をかいた、という外国人の話を聞きます。　ある外国人女性、旅館で布団の用意をしてもらいたくて「おとこをください」。もちろんこれは「お床」なんですが。　

私のメルトモだったアメリカ人は「あなたは、息子さんを産んだ後、また刑務所に戻りましたか」と書いてきて私をびっくりさせました。彼は「事務所」つまりまた会社に戻ったか、と聞きたかったということが、後でわかりました。　

それからおすし屋さんのカウンターで大声で「まぐろはありません！（きっぱり）」と言っておすし屋さんや他のお客さんを驚かせてしまったイギリス人。最後に「か」をつけるのを忘れてしまったんですね。（「まぐろはありませんか」）

「あなたはきらいです」とパーティーで女性に言いまくってすっかり嫌われてしまったインド人。

（「あなたはきれいです」と言いたかった。）

そういう私も英語では赤っ恥だらけの人生です。　なるべく英語はしゃべりたくない、書きたくない、ひっそり自己満足だけで勉強していたい。

仕事で英語を話さなければならないときは、日本語を話すときとうってかわって、ささやくような声になってしまう私です。生徒には"Don't be afraid of making mistakes" と言っておきながら。笑

2009年 04月17日 09:28: 3: stripmahjongさん

Hmm, I should remember this story! I always worry too much about making mistakes with my Japanese... Great story!

>I want to imitate the sentence “Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.
>I want to say “To be an expert we make many mistakes”.

Someone I knew a long time ago once said to me, "The road to success is paved with failure." （成功の道は失敗で作りました。） It may be a famous saying, but I'm not sure who said it originally. ^^

2009年 04月17日 10:29: 4: earth-riseさん

anyaさん

Thank you very much for your many pieces of advice! I imagine it took you to correct my poor English.

１．日本語でもよく解らなかった部分を書き換えました。
　　I changed the sentences that confused you (and me).

>An expert as 100% has been made up of many mistakes as 99% and >some correct answers as 1%.
Hmm. I’m not sure I understand exactly what you want to say, even reading the Japanese. Are you talking about how experts begin in their learning? I read it as something like:
Even experts can be formed from a starting ratio of 1% right to 99% wrong.
↓
エジソンは天才は99％の努力からつくられると言った。
そう、達人も99％の努力からつくられる。
たくさんの間違いがたくさんの正解を連れてくるのだ。
Thomas Edison said, “Genius is 99% perspiration.”
Yes, I agree with him, an expert is 99% perspiration.
Making many mistakes gives getting correct answers.
　　
”get"の代わりに　”carry" "lead"　を考えたのですが。何か良い言葉はありますか？

どうでしょうか？お手数ですがもう一度添削をお願いします。

2. How do you think about my title in English?
「一字違いが命取り」　 "Only a small mistake makes a big difference."
Is it ok, or strange?

3．
＞The young saleswoman went to get an elder saleswoman, her boss, and they soon came back together.
　
”Get"! I didn't think it. Um, you added only one word, and the meaning of my sentence became clearly. Certainly only a one letter change makes a big change.

4.
>>Therefore he couldn’t buy it.
>This sentence is correct and will be understood, but more natural English would be: “Therefore, he had been unable to buy it.”

Do you use "have been able to " more frequently than "could" in everyday expressions? Is "could" a little rigid?

5.
>Well done! Many of your sentences were perfect! I corrected for style as well as grammar.

I really thank you!　Please don't hesitate and correct my journals! Many your advices have put my fear in writing English away. Of course I have made many mistakes like my professor, but writing English becomes easier and happier.

2009年 04月17日 11:43: 5: アンヤレッタさん

>エジソンは天才は99％の努力からつくられると言った。
そう、達人も99％の努力からつくられる。
たくさんの間違いがたくさんの正解を連れてくるのだ。
Thomas Edison said, “Genius is 99% perspiration.”
Yes, I agree with him, an expert is 99% perspiration.
Making many mistakes gives getting correct answers.
　　
”get”の代わりに　”carry” “lead”　を考えたのですが。何か良い言葉はありますか？

Ah, so stripmahjong had it exactly right. He recognized that you were quoting Edison (and I put a quote from Edison in my profile today, after reading your entry, but... I didn't put 2 and 2 together!).

"getting correct answers" is good. But you mentioned "lead", and that would be a good word instead of "gives" in your sentence. So, "Making many mistakes leads to getting correct answers."

>2. How do you think about my title in English?
「一字違いが命取り」　 “Only a small mistake makes a big difference.”
Is it ok, or strange?

Not strange. I understood it easily and never thought it strange. You could also say, "Small mistakes can make a big difference". Maybe stripmahjong has other suggestions....

>Do you use “have been able to ” more frequently than “could” in everyday expressions? Is “could” a little rigid?

No. This is a matter of past tense and.... I don't know what the proper term is... I'll call it "deep past tense". What you wrote is perfectly fine, acceptable, and clear in meaning. What I wrote is just a bit more polished. It uses one more tense, the past tense referring to a deeper past event.

How to explain...

On Saturday, I went to the store to buy some peanuts, but there were no peanuts in stock, so I couldn't buy any. Then on Sunday, I read in the paper that there was a recall on peanuts because of a problem with Salmonella, so I realized that was the reason why I had been unable to buy them.

In the above, Sunday is in the past, and Saturday is in the deep past.
I'm talking about Sunday (past) and I say that on Sunday I realized why I couldn't buy peanuts on Saturday (deep past), so I am talking about a deep past event (Saturday) from the perspective of a past event (Sunday).

I can just use "couldn't" or "was unable" for both past events.

"I couldn't buy peanuts on Saturday/I was unable to buy peanuts on Saturday."
"I realized on Sunday why I couldn't buy peanuts on Saturday/I realized on Sunday why I was unable to buy peanuts on Saturday." That's absolutely good English and commonly used.

But now... if I just say,

"I realized on Sunday why I couldn't buy peanuts," that may mean I couldn't buy peanuts on Sunday... maybe I'm at the store on Sunday when I realize the reason I can't buy peanuts.

But if I say,
"I realized on Sunday why I had been unable to buy peanuts", in this case it is clear I am referring to a time *before* Sunday, or at least before I realize the reason... an earlier time when I tried to buy peanuts but couldn't. I'm talking about a deeper past event there, and that is clear just from "I had been unable to" without my adding "on Saturday" or some other word pointing to a prior time.

Are you sorry you asked? Honestly, many native speakers would probably want to take me out and shoot me for going into all this, because what you wrote to start with was fine.

2009年 04月17日 12:14: 6: earth-riseさん

hiroisoraさん
はじめまして。
まあ、同じような年齢、同じ関東、同じ30年ぶりの英語。なんという共通点。とても親近感がわいてしまいました。
私もむか～～し、3か月ほどですが、日本語教師養成講座なる物を受けましたが、あまりの面倒くささに挫折いたしました。日本語がこんなに面倒なものだとは知りませんでした。英語より大変ですよね。例外の塊のような気がしました。

しかし、もったいないですね。こんないいネタがたくさん。このまますぐ日記に出来ますね。ぜひ日記にして、読ませて下さい。
楽しみにしています。

2009年 04月17日 13:24: 7: earth-riseさん

anyaさん
1.>stripmahjong

???　ストライプマハジョング？？？　What is it? I can't find it in my dictionary!
strip・・・・裸？　細長い一片？
mahjong・・・マージャン？
裸のマージャン？細長いマージャン？
自分で笑っちゃいます。（未亡人！魔法瓶！）

2.＞This is a matter of past tense and…. I don’t know what the proper term is… I’ll call it “deep past tense”.
　
I've remembered back and understood it!
過去と過去完了の事ですね。
Yes, I studied at school already. Thank you.
Your explanation is very useful for me when I will use English.

3.折角のコメントなのですが、意味がわかりません。
I'm very sorry I can't understand what you say.

>Are you sorry you asked? Honestly, many native speakers would probably want to take me out and shoot me for going into all this, because what you wrote to start with was fine.

あなたが頼んだことを、あなたは謝るの？本当に、たくさんのネイティブスピーカーが私を連れ出してこれ全部を　all this(?) 私に向けてくるの。なぜなら、あなたが最初に書いた事は正しいから。

2009年 04月17日 21:12: 8: アンヤレッタさん

>Are you sorry you asked? Honestly, many native speakers would probably want to take me out and shoot me for going into all this, because what you wrote to start with was fine.

こんな長々しい説明を読むと頼んだことを後悔しているのでしょう。私が書いた事を読んだら、「もういいのよ！この人を庭に連れて射殺しよう！」と思うネイティブスピーカーが少なくないはずです。　最初からあなたが書いた事は正しいのに論文まで書いて...

1.>stripmahjong

???　ストライプマハジョング？？？　What is it? I can’t find it in my dictionary!
strip・・・・裸？　細長い一片？
mahjong・・・マージャン？
裸のマージャン？細長いマージャン？
自分で笑っちゃいます。（未亡人！魔法瓶！）

こんな言葉を見付けるために特別な辞書が必要なのです。（笑）いえ、これは多分stripmahjongが作り上げた言葉で、裸のマージャンに近いです。strip poker というゲームでは負けるごとに服一着を脱ぐ、ということです。

2009年 04月18日 00:37: 9: earth-riseさん

anyaさん
＞Ah, so stripmahjong had it exactly right. He recognized that you were quoting Edison (and I put a quote from Edison in my profile today, after reading your entry, but… I didn’t put 2 and 2 together!).
　
Ha,ha,ha!
"Stripmahjong!" It's Dave! I see, I see! I laughed at myself!

Thank you for your explanation, and your translation into Japanese.